The present invention concerns an apparatus for sorting to the same side the ends of conical bobbin tubes for textile machines, in particular but not exclusively for spinning or twisting machines, by supplying the individual bobbin tubes transverse to their axes along a support means between two lateral guides. The distance of the guides from the support means is substantially equal to the mean bobbin tube diameter, and the mutual distance between such guides, seen in the direction of the bobbin tube supply, diminishes from a value exceeding the bobbin tube length to a value smaller than the bobbin tube length. In this specification the term "mean bobbin tube diameter" refers to the external diameter of an individual bobbin tube at a location approximately midway between two ends. The term is not limited to the diameter of the bobbin tube at the exact mid-length thereof. An apparatus as defined above will be referred to hereinafter as "an apparatus of the type described".
In an apparatus of this type the bobbin tube during its movement in the supply direction is forced by the guide contacting the bobbin tube foot (the end of larger diameter) to move in the direction of the bobbin tube tip (the end of smaller diameter), owing to which movement the bobbin tube may be presented in front of the opening of a chute in such manner, that owing to its weight distribution, it falls with its foot end first, and thus the bobbin tubes are sorted with the same ends to the same side, i.e. in this case, feet downwards.
Devices of such type are applied in the textile industry at all places where conical bobbin tubes are mechanically handled for their further processing, i.e. where the bobbin tubes are to be presented parallel and oriented with their foot ends, or tip ends respectively, to the same side. This is e.g. the case in the automatically functioning bobbin tube donning device on a ring spinning or ring twisting machine, on which empty bobbin tubes are to be donned to the spindles arranged along one or more rows.
The term "sorting of bobbin tubes" in the context of the present invention is understood in the broadest sense of establishing a geometric arrangement of the conical bobbin tubes depending on their dimensions; their material, weight, color, etc. not being considered. Sorting of bobbin tubes with the same ends to the same side is referred to hereinafter as "orienting" of bobbin tubes.
In a known bobbin tube orienting device of the type described (German DE-AS 2,003,594) two lateral guide edges are arranged in a plane substantially parallel to a guide table in such manner that their distance from the guide table is invariable and substantially equal to the mean diameter of the bobbin tubes to be sorted. This arrangement permits correct orienting of bobbin tubes of identical dimensions, i.e. of bobbin tubes, the largest diameter of which is larger, and the smallest diameter of which is smaller than the fixed distance between the guide edges and the guide table. It presents, however, the disadvantage, that it does not permit automatic orienting of tubes of different diameter, e.g. of bobbin tubes of the same inside diameter but of different thickness. Such bobbin tubes, which can be donned on the spindles without difficulties, cannot be oriented or jam in the machine. This results in a disturbance of the sorting process. This disadvantage is of great practical importance, as in normal spinning mill practice different bobbin tubes are used according to the respective applications on the same machine; these may vary from doffing cycle to doffing cycle. In particular, alternating use of thin walled disposable bobbin tubes and of thickwalled card board or plastic bobbin tubes occurs frequently.